Dorset's Police and Crime Commissioner has ruled out an inquiry into errors that allowed the former head teacher of Sherborne Preparatory School to abuse pupils for more than three decades.

Robin Lindsay 'retired' from the school in 1998, in the wake of a Department for Education tribunal that saw him branded a "fixated paedophile" who posed a serious risk to children.

Lindsay, who died in 2016, was barred from teaching after the tribunal, but never faced police charges.

What happened?

Head teacher and owner of the school Robin Lindsay was accused of committing a serious sexual assault against one pupil of the school, encouraged children to share his bed and joining them naked in the showers.

Police had investigated him in April 1986, but he claimed the accusations against him had been made maliciously.

When investigated again in 1993, he admitted a string of allegations and accepted his physical intimacy with pupils was open to misinterpretation.

Dorset Social Services had also warned Lindsay about his behaviour in 1993, while their follow-up report in 1997 was 'damning in the extreme'.

It was not until 1998, when concerns over his behaviour became so extreme that the Department for Education held a tribunal and barred him from teaching.

As a result he retired from the school, saying he wanted to concentrate on clearing his name.

Despite the tribunal finding him unfit to run a school and branding him a 'fixated paedophile' and 'serious risk to children' parents of pupils at the school rallied to his defense.

They wrote to newspapers covering the story in their hundreds, with one claiming: "his only fault is to have a little of the eccentricity that we British are famed for."

When he was ousted from the school at a service in Sherborne Abbey 700 people sang 'For He's a Jolly Good Fellow' and gave him a standing ovation.

Lindsay never faced police charges, and died in July 2016.

But this week, Dorset's police and crime commissioner (PCC), Martyn Underhill said he did not believe a new inquiry would "further justice".

In a lengthy statement, he said: "It is sadly clear to see that in the period in question, safeguarding arrangements in pockets of our society did not meet modern standards.

"Naturally, this raised concerns among my constituents and I have sought further detail in relation to whether the Force considers it should undertake further action, or whether the Chief Constable and I should seek an external review from another Force.

"Having examined this matter closely, I concluded that a new inquiry will not further justice.

"Mr Lindsay was the owner of the school, without any form of scrutiny or supervision.

Robin Lindsay

"I am informed that detectives spoke to all parents and pupils during the original investigation, however, some of the parents who were approached refused to engage for reasons only known to them.

"At that time, police were unable to identify suitable evidence for a prosecution. I am satisfied that all opportunities to identify further possible victims of crime were pursued.

"I was aware at the time of the new enquiry in 2014, when a new allegation was made, Mr Lindsay was deemed medically unfit by an independent specialist. The accused is now deceased and therefore no further charges can be sought."

He said in the light of changing attitudes to reporting of sexual abuse, he believes the system that allowed Lindsay to abuse children under his care has been improved.

How did Robin Lindsay 'get away with it'?

The grim account of Lindsay's abuse has some troubling parallels with abuse by football coach Barry Bennell sentenced in February 2018, to 31 years in prison for 43 charges of historic sexual abuse.

In both cases the abusers had:

almost absolute power and influence in their professional circle;

virtually limitless access to large numbers of young boys;

groomed adults around their victims, including parents, to dismiss the notion of wrongdoing;

cultivate and expolit a culture of fear, isolation and confusion among their victims.

It is probably for these reasons that it has taken four decades for the full horror of what happened to be disclosed.

Even when an judge-led enquiry branded Lindsay a fixated paedophile and he was banned from working with children, parents and supporters rallied to his support - explaining away his actions as "eccentric" or acceptable.

Although Lindsay is now dead, and Sherborne Preparatory School says it is a completely new and separate entity to Lindsay's "private fiefdom", pre 1990s survivors have many questions for authorities about whether they could or should have done more.

"In considering the need for any inquiry, it is right and proper to assess what can be gained," he said.

"In the decades since the alleged sexual abuse, I am confident that arrangements have vastly improved and obstacles that prevented officers from gaining access to interview pupils at the school in the 1980s and 1990s do not exist today."

He said police had learned from their investigations into Lindsay, and that the case had been referred to the national operation Operation Hydrant, which looks into non-recent child sexual abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence or in relation to those offences which took place within institutional settings.

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill

He also said that Dorset Police had been rated 'good' by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) for its approach to keeping people safe and protecting them from harm.

"I am satisfied that lessons have been learned and my absolute priority therefore must be ensuring that victims always come forward to police and receive support from organisations that can help," he said.

Finding help

If you or someone you know is a survivor of abuse or violence, help is available from the following organisations: